Tips on Buying Water Filter for Your Home

Having
fresh, pure water today has become a real blessing. This fluid is becoming a
valuable resource, as its availability decreases. Consider yourself lucky if
you can supply your home with unpolluted and clean liquid gold.

These
days, you can find fresh, crystal clear water only in rural, mountain areas. In
big cities, this is only possible if you have a sound filtration system. You
can use tap H2O, but be aware that it contains a variety of chemicals,
residues, and contaminants. These can be a cause of many health problems.

On the link below, you can see more about the diseases that polluted water can cause:

Investing
in a filtration system is an investment in health. The choice of these systems
is extensive. You can pick among devices for all purposes, either commercial or
household. The choice depends on many factors, but before choosing a ‘weapon,’
you should ‘meet’ your enemy. In other words, you have to detect the
contaminants in the water.

Detect the Contaminants

Almost all types of pollutants found in the
ground or air can get into the H2O. Plus, there are various types of liquid
waste, outflows from industrial plants, organic waste, and so on. The presence
of heavy metals is also frequent in the city supply system. This information is
essential to determine what kind of filtration treatment you need.

If you use water from the city supply, make
sure you find the annual reports and analyzes that this institution is required
to conduct. If you’re on a private well, you need to do analysis on your own.
Certified laboratories do these examinations, and they detect many types of
pollutants. You can also carry out this analysis if you are using city water.

Also, regardless of the supply type, you
can always do the home test yourself. These kits can detect many sorts of
contaminants, bacteria, heavy metals, and the pH of the water you use. You
should perform these tests several times a year for your own safety, even after
you have purchased a filter.

Choose Water Treatment

Once you know what kind of bad things are
in your water, you need to make two choices. The first is which filter
treatment you will use. And another critical decision is whether to purify the H2O
only for drinking, or for the needs of the entire household (for shower, dishwasher,
washing machine, etc.).

With the advancement of technology,
filtration systems are also being upgraded. Still, most devices on the market
use conventional carbon filtration media. Carbon resin, ceramic filters, and
reverse osmosis membranes are also available. Which one you opt for depends on the
pollutants. Not every water
filter system is suitable for cleaning different types of dirt.

For
example, carbon filters will clean most of the bigger particles. But smaller
contaminants will pass through the system. On the other hand, ceramic filtration media remove pathogenic bacteria and other
microorganisms. But these are costlier and complicated to maintain.

H2O for Drink or Entire Household

As for the other decision, it will most
affect your budget for buying a filtration system. Also, you have to think about
how many people will use purified water. The price differences between, for
example, the pitcher filter and the whole house system are significant.

Filters for Small Amounts

If you only need water for drinks, a
pitcher filter and sink filters are the right solutions. They are suitable for
small amounts of water. Also, these are convenient if you live in a rented
place. The recommendation is to buy models of reputable brands, as they have
excellent performances.

There
are also special free-standing filters that you can put on or under the
countertop. These are cheaper options, but only at first. Later, you have to
change filtration media frequently. Consider whether this pays
off. The maintenance costs for these models are quite high compared to
some more expensive solutions.

Filters with Extra Tap

Some of these more expensive and
better-quality solutions are a reverse osmosis filter and ‘under the counter’
filter. These systems hook onto the cold water line. The clean H2O can come out
on the sink or through the specialized small tap.

These purification models also have tanks
for storing purified liquid, which means they need more space. Also, the
installation of these systems is a bit specific. You can do it yourself if you’re
handy with a tool. Or call a plumber.

Whole-House System

If you need clean water throughout your
household, the Point of Entry purification system will save you the trouble.
That is a whole-house system placed on the incoming supply line. The initial
investment is more expensive than all the solutions mentioned above.

As for the maintenance, in case there are
no breakdowns, you’ll have only regular annual service. But, the problem with
these systems may be poor filtration efficiency. Often, you have to install an
additional filtering method to get drinking water.

Watch of Scams and Low Prices

Purifiers with low prices are the most
common type of fraud. Unreal prices are the most common way you can spot a
scam. Something that initially costs a few hundred dollars can’t be sold for 10
or 20 times less than the price, even when it’s on sale for Black Friday.

Fake filters are often sold with the same
labels as the original ones. Often fraudsters commit illegal acts when they
forge certificates and licenses for use. See
here how to spot a counterfeit. Instead of a carbon filtration media, they
use elements that are inefficient in the process of purification. These can
often be dangerous to health. Some fake purifiers are highly toxic.

Except for health reasons, the use of purified tap water in your home will bring significant savings. Bottled H2O may be safe to drink, but it will cost you a lot more. Plus, plastic packaging is a threat to the environment. Using filtered tap water is environmentally friendly and worth every penny.